See Stalking Clearly
This National Stalking Awareness Week, we will be focusing on making stalking victims a visible priority, particularly as part of the government’s response to the COVID-19 health emergency. During these unprecedented times, we must rightly reflect on how far we have come in improving our local response to stalking and how much more there still is to do.
We know that stalkers are still stalking during lockdown measures and clients are telling us that their homes are not the places of safety and solace that many of us enjoy. We have already seen a 75% increase in cyber and online stalking activity, which is currently the most common form of human interaction. Sadly, the negative impact of this form of fixated, obsessed and unwanted communication is still not fully appreciated by many.
It is for this reason that this week, more than ever, we are determined to continue providing victims of stalking across Sussex with the help they need at this challenging time. To that end, and with the continued support of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne, we are today launching our new online live chat, for anyone affected by stalking in Sussex. We hope that this facility will assist us in better utilising the opportunities that technology has to offer to play a supportive role in the context of stalking and how to minimise the associated risks and improve safety and wellbeing.
The wider implications of this pandemic are still to be understood but the increasing levels of domestic abuse and domestic homicides over the last few weeks are of great concern to us; with 70% of our clients being stalked by ex-intimate partners, we know that demand for our service will only increase over the next few months and beyond, so there is no better time to ensure that victims of stalking are not forgotten in this crisis.
We will continue working with our Police and partners across the statutory and voluntary sectors to ensure that victims of stalking are no longer invisible.
Finally, we want to thank Katy Bourne for her support for our work and her determination to ensure that victims of stalking are given the help and support they desperately need.
Claudia Ortiz – Director – Veritas Justice
Further Information
If you are concerned you can chat to us https://veritas-justice.co.uk or email us at support@veritas-justice.co.uk or call us on 01273234773
In an emergency always call Sussex Police dialling 999
For non-emergencies dial 101 or
Report online https://www.sussex.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/
If you are not in Sussex, contact our National partners:
National Stalking Helpline 0808 802 0300
Paladin Service 020 3866 4107 info@paladinservice.co.uk
National Stalking Consortium
The National Stalking Consortium is formed of third-sector groups which work to improve support for victims of stalking across the statutory and voluntary sectors. The Consortium’s work is informed by the experiences of stalking victims and robust academic research. The National Stalking Consortium’s secretariat is provided by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, and its members include: Action Against Stalking; Alexis Bowater; Alice Ruggles Trust; Aurora New Dawn; Changing Pathways; Dr Frank Farnham; Dr Alec Grant; Hollie Gazzard Trust; Professor Carsten Maple; Tracey Morgan; National Centre for Cyberstalking Research at the University of Bedfordshire; Network for Surviving Stalking; Paladin National Stalking Advocacy Service; Protection Against Stalking; Stalking NI; Sussex Stalking Support and Veritas Justice.
